Made of Stone
by YamiTesh
Summary: If you asked almost anyone if Seto Kaiba was made of stone, they would probably say that he was.
1. A Kitten and Kaiba

**_Made of Stone_**

 _ **Summary:**_ If you asked almost anyone if Seto Kaiba was made of stone, they would probably say that he was.

 _ **Chapter 1: A Kitten and Kaiba**_

It was raining. Of course it was. Why not rain, too?

Ryou walked, cold and alone through the streets and alleys, making his way back home after, once again, waking up, late at night, somewhere he didn't remember going. He always felt scared in these moments, wondering what the spirit had done, but he tried to simply not think of it, and go back to life as normal once he found himself in control again.

He wrapped his arms around himself, trying to keep from shivering, and looked up to find something to stand under for a moment. He found a small awning in an alley, and quickly dipped under it, shivering hard, wondering if he could wait until the rain stopped. He sank to the ground, back against the building and pulled his knees into his chest, trying to find some kind of warmth. He was so tired... scared, and weak.

 _Maybe I could just rest my eyes for a moment..._

 _ **...**_

Seto Kaiba looked down at his watch and sighed. He was in the office late, again, and though he knew Mokuba wouldn't approve, he had to finish the code he was working on before he could allow himself to sleep. A standard he had set for himself. Something Mokuba had a hard time understanding. Technically, his little brother was correct every time he'd told him: "You're the CEO. You can take it easy every once in a while." Yet, Seto simply didn't see it that way, and always responded with something like: "Maintaining discipline, maintains power." or by simply telling him not to worry and run along.

His sapphire eyes looked up quickly as a small knock came from the door to his office. "What is it?" He asked impatiently.

"Mr. Kaiba, you're car is ready."

He suddenly remembered having the car brought around before the unexpected coding issues had come up. "Send him home." He replied shortly. "I'm working. I will drive myself."

"Yes, sir!"

He listened as his assistant walked away from the door, and turned his attention back to his work, but before he could even get back into his rhythm, his phone rang out through the office and he had to clench his fists to relieve some frustration before quickly snatching it up and giving an angry: "What is it?!"

"Seto?" Mokuba's voice was low and cautious. "When are you coming home?"

"When I'm done working." Seto's tone instantly changed from anger to slightly annoyed.

"Oh, well... I hope it's soon. You said we would watch a movie together..."

His little brother's words went right into Seto's heart, causing it to deflate. He had completely forgotten that he had promised Mokuba merely a movie's worth of time and yet here he was at the office with easily 2 more hours left of work to do.

He sighed into the phone, but before he could say anything his brother spoke for him: "It's okay big brother, you have work to do. I understand."

"Some other time." He replied simply and hung up the phone.

Great, a long day at the office, coding issues, now guilt. Could this day get any worse? The CEO was nearly startled, as much as you could startle Seto Kaiba, as a loud clap of thunder came from the large window behind him.

Of course... why not rain, too?

 _ **...**_

Ryou felt rain. His eyes slowly fluttered open and he realized he was still in the alley, but now his shelter had become insufficient, and the wind started to pick up, causing the rain to fall diagonally into his side. He slowly stood, still bracing himself on the wall as he woke up fully. It was dark, very late from what he could tell. The wind was starting to howl and the rain was only increasing.

He rushed out of the alley and down the sidewalk, running now. He still wasn't quite sure how to get home from the part of the city he found himself in, but he knew if he could at least make it to the bus station, he could take shelter there until the storm passed. He could just barely see the sidewalk under the light of the street lamps and in one of the ovals of yellow light, Ryou noticed a small black shape.

He stopped just passed it, and turned around to see a small shivering kitten alone and soaking on the sidewalk. His heart broke for the little animal, and he walked back to it, but right before he touched it, the terrified kitten simply turned and ran into the street.

"No, wait!" Ryou called after the kitten and chased it without thinking.

 _ **...**_

Seto closed his laptop and took a deep breath, annoyed again. He was at last done with the code, which had turned out to only need a simple, quick fix, and an utter waste of time, but at least he was finished earlier than expected. He looked down at his watch. Yes, it was still early enough that Mokuba may be awake, and able to watch the movie. He stood, and pulled his car key from the top drawer of his desk.

As he stood in the elevator, briefcase and phone in hand, he considered calling his brother, but decided he would make it a bit of a surprise. He let a small smile slip... and everyone said he only thought of himself. He reached the garage, and his black, shining sports car, and quickly got in. The storm made no difference to Seto. He was actually a very talented driver, and low visibility was something he was trained to deal with.

The radio was turned on at a low volume, but Seto turned it up when a weather bulletin took over the song that was playing: "Flood warnings and wind advisories have been issued for Domino City. Please do not leave your homes unless it is absolutely necessary. Avoid driving if at all possible, but if you must please drive safe. The roads are considered to be in very poor condition. Weather isn't expected to let up until the morning..."

Seto scoffed and glanced down for just a split second to turn the radio off, but when he looked up, his headlights illuminated a blur of white, and blue, and he instantly knew it was a person. On instinct, he slammed on the brakes, but the water caught under the tires, and his car spun to the side, coming to a rough stop, horizontal on the road. Seto caught his breath and tried to think if he had felt his car hit anything, but he simply wasn't sure.

He opened the door to his car, got out, and slowly, and hesitantly, walked around to the passenger side of the car, which was now facing where the mystery person had been. There, almost touching the passenger door, was ... someone, curled down in the road. Seto stared in disbelief that he had stopped so close. As he stood, frozen, the person slowly lifted his head. The first thing Seto noticed, was a small kitten staring fearfully up at him from the lap of the person he'd nearly hit. Then, brown eyes looked up at him and Seto had to take a surprised inhale.

"Bakura?!"

Ryou's eyes grew as he recognized the tall figure in the rain. "Kaiba?"

"What the hell are you doing in the street?" Seto's concern switched to anger very quickly, "Are you crazy? I almost killed you!"

"But... you could have hit ... him." Ryou looked down at the tiny shivering kitten in his lap.

"You really ran out in the middle of the street to save a dumb cat? You've got to be kidding me!" As the words escaped his mouth, he suddenly realized that the cat, and Ryou, weren't the only people sitting in the middle of the road. He huffed, feeling somehow responsible for his new-found accompaniment. He walked over quickly, and without a word, grabbed the top of Ryou's arm firmly, but not rough, and easily pulled him to his feet. He opened the passenger door to his car, and sat the soaking wet teen, cat and all, in the seat, and slammed the door.

Ryou, wanted to leap out of the car, feeling the rain seeping into the, no doubt very expensive, car seat. Seto climbed in the car quickly, and silently started it, corrected his position on the road and pulled away. He was already moving before Ryou even had the chance to protest, but nonetheless, he couldn't help but speak: "Kaiba... your car..."

"Don't worry about it." The CEO said quickly. He'd simply have it cleaned. Besides, Ryou wasn't doing anymore damage than he was doing himself. He debated on what to do next. In the rush to clear the road, he had gone in the direction of home, but what was he going to do with his new charge, and a ... cat? He considered offering him a ride home, but a bright flash of lightening, and a particularly strong wind gust made him reconsider being on the road any longer than he had to. Finally, he decided he would have guest room prepared, they had plenty. Out of habit of always being in charge, he simply forgot to mention to his passenger that his choice had been made for him.

Ryou was silent as the reality of what was happening sank in, and he had to conclude, even with everything the spirit could get up to, ending up holding a kitten, soaking wet, riding in the front seat of Seto Kaiba's sports car had to be the most ludicrous situation he had ever found himself in. He had literally never said a word to the guy, and now he was going ... actually, where were they going?

He glanced over, and found himself very nervous to speak to the intimidating CEO. It took him over a minute to finally, sheepishly ask: "Where are we going?"

Seto didn't look at him. It was a fair question yet he couldn't help but find the answer kind of obvious. Where else would he be taking him without having ask first? "We're going to my home. Thanks to this ridiculous weather, I recommend you stay until morning."

Ryou was shocked Seto would actually be so ... generous. They didn't even know each other, really. Barely by name. Suddenly, the little kitten in his lap, meowed loudly, catching both of their attention, and it made Ryou feel even more imposing, and could feel his cheeks growing hot with embarrassment. Seto must think he was a complete fool.

The rest of the drive was awkwardly silent. A few times Ryou considered telling him that the gesture was too much and he could simply drop him off at the bus station, but the idea of sleeping in an actual bed was enough motivation to keep him quiet. Besides, the young CEO was being kind to him, and, besides Yugi and his friends, that had become a rare thing for the white haired teen.

Seto was not blind to the tension. He was just simply unfazed by it. He was not the type of person who got nervous, and let's face it, the kid wasn't exactly intimidating. He looked more pitiful than the kitten. He couldn't help but wonder, though, what he had been doing out in such weather. It had been raining for hours. Finally, they turned into a driveway where a huge metal gate stood tall against the back ground of dark clouds. He simply reached up and tapped a button above his rear view mirror, and with a small beep the large metallic gates started to swing open.

Ryou couldn't help but stare in bewilderment at the massive fence. As the pulled through, they started to travel down a slightly long paved drive with trees lined against either side. Then the tree parted ways, revealing the most magnificent home Ryou had ever seen.

It was made of red brick with a dark roof. There were many windows outlined in thick white. The doorway was elegant and broad with a balcony above it under which Seto parked his car. The large deep dark brown wooden door instantly open wide to reveal a man, who stood, waiting.

"Let's go." Seto said, without looking over. Ryou sat still, until the CEO opens his own door amd started to step out of the car. He followed suit, cradling the, now rather curious, kitten to his chest. The storm was still raging and he could feel misty rain even under the huge balcony above them, and its big white pillars around them.

He followed Seto up the white, smooth steps and looked up when the man spoke: " Welcome home, Mr. Kaiba. I was not informed that you would be having a guest this evening."

"It was unexpected." He replied simply.

"Seto!" Everyone looked over to the small, excited voice, and there stood a pajama-clad Mokuba with a bright smile on his face, but it instantly faded to confusion as he made eye contact with Ryou. "Bakura? What are you doing here?"

Ryou took a breath to say something, though he honestly wasn't sure what he was going to say other than the truth, but Seto spoke first: "He's staying the night because of the weather." He turned back to the man, "Make sure a room is prepared and he has everything he needs or requests." then, once again with no real acknowledgment to Ryou, he started walking away.

"Cool." Mokuba said simply, walking over to pet the kitten. "You should come have dinner with us." Ryou couldn't help but glance up toward Seto, not sure if an invitation from Mokuba was the same as an invitation from him. The youngest Kaiba looked up to the man, who was instructed some women to prepare a room, and have dry clothes brought to it: "Set another place for dinner, ok? I'll take Bakura to his room. The first one, right?"

"Yes, Master Mokuba." Then with a bow, he walked toward Seto, no doubt to confirm the dinner plans.

Mokuba started walking and beckoned Ryou to follow. "Who's your friend?"

Ryou looked down at the kitten and smiled. "Actually, we just met. I found him cold and alone on the sidewalk."

Seto, having just reached the doorway, had to pause, and scoffed, annoyed, but only slightly.

 _You're more like that cat than you think._


	2. Movie

**_Made of Stone_**

 _ **Summary:**_ If you asked almost anyone if Seto Kaiba was made of stone, they would probably say that he was.

 _ **Chapter 2: Movie**_

The room that Mokuba led Ryou to was amazing. He had never seen anything like it. The bed was the largest he had ever seen, let alone slept on. There was a private bathroom on the right. The white door was open, and Ryou looked inside. The counter top was a dark marble, with a silver sink. There was a large round tub, along with a standing shower.

"There's some clothes on the dresser." Mokuba said, pointing. "Want me to take the kitten while you freshen up before dinner?" Ryou smiled knowing it was his way of asking to play with him. He handed the kitten to the boy, and the smile that came across his face made Ryou happy. "Are you gonna keep him?"

He paused. "Honestly, I hadn't thought about it."

"You should. You saved him. Well, I'll let you get ready for dinner..."

"Are you sure you two shouldn't just eat together? I can eat in here, if I do..." He trailed off, thinking he probably shouldn't have added that last part.

Mokuba was sharp, however. "What do you mean 'if you do'? Just come have dinner with me and Seto. I promise he's not as scary as you think."

Ryou turned away from him. Was it so obvious that he was afraid of him? Of course, it was hard not to feel small and vulnerable around someone who radiated confidence like the young CEO. Yet he tried to play it off: "Why would you think I was afraid of him?"

"Most people are, but he's really not that bad. I promise."

Though all Ryou did was nod, he believed Mokuba. It would have been very easy for Seto to tell him to get out of the road, and leave him there. He didn't have to let him ride in his car, soaking wet, with a stray kitten, no less, and even though he was very well off financially, he still didn't have to allow him to stay in his home, and now have dinner with him. Surely someone who was as bad as Joey, or Tristan, might make him out to be, wouldn't extend that much courtesy.

"So... you'll come to dinner?" Mokuba's voice brought Ryou out of his thoughts. When his eyes met the boy's hopeful gaze, all he could do was smile and nod.

"Great! Go get ready, someone will come get you when it's served." He turned, holding the kitten close to his chest, and left the room. Ryou sighed and walked to the massive window and looked out at the rolling dark clouds. The sound of the rain tapping against the window was somehow soothing even though he certainly felt nervous.

He had never had dinner with someone as rich, or as important, as Seto Kaiba. Sure, his father had always had interesting characters around, given his job, but no one at the level of a Kaiba. Also, he had to assume that if Seto were to have dinner with someone for a business reason it would not be in his own home. Yet here he was about to sit at his personal table, along with his brother, who everyone knew was the most important thing to him. He felt unworthy of such kindness.

He retrieved the fresh clothes, noticing instantly there were two sets of clothes, one being pajamas. He took the normal set and walked into the bathroom. He closed the door, turned the sink on cold water, cupped his hands in the stream, and splashed it on his face. After peeking one eye open to look for the towel, in the corner of his eye, in the mirror, through the blur of the water, he could see the spirit of the ring standing tall behind him. He quickly wiped his eyes with the towel, but when he dropped it down, the spirit was gone. He had to brace himself on the counter and calm his heart, knowing that was the spirit's way of telling Ryou he was watching.

It took him a moment to catch his breath, and gather the bravery to look back up in the mirror. He was alone. He pulled both his blue over shirt and striped blue undershirt off, and folded them neatly. He stared at the ring, against his chest, in the mirror, before pulling it off and lying it gently on the counter.

He tried to forget about it, as he fixed his hair in the mirror, and took a look at the clothes that were provided for him. The shirt was a navy blue, pull over sweater, similar to the white one he wore during the later seasons. The pants were simple and brown, that somehow fit perfectly. For a moment he wondered if these clothes belonged to Seto, but quickly realized that couldn't be. Seto was easily a foot taller than him, with a much wider frame. He finally just shrugged it off. It really made no difference, anyway.

As he walked out of the bathroom, there was a small knock at the door, and before he could say anything, the door slid open, revealing the man from before. "Good evening, Mr. Bakura. Dinner is served." Ryou followed the man out of the room, not thinking that he had left the Millennium Ring lying on the bathroom counter.

 _ **...**_

Seto pulled off his soaked white coat, and tossed it into the hamper in his bathroom. As he started to undress, he found himself feeling even more exhausted than normal. He'd had a very long day, and now, thanks to all of this, he had a feeling it would only get longer. He fluffed his hair in the mirror and fixed it with his comb. His mind started to drift, recapping the events of the day, and he found himself back on an earlier thought. What had Ryou been doing out alone, in such weather? He recalled some of his actions from duelist kingdom, and wondered if he had invited a dangerous person into his home ... but as he pictured those big chocolate eyes, looking up at him, the thought vanished.

As the image lingered in his mind, he had to admit to himself that Ryou had a pleasant face. He was nice to look at. He supposed of all the unexpected dinner guests, he could have almost run over worse. As he slid on a simple black long sleeve shirt over his normal black pants, with two belts, he wondered what had possessed him to "rescue" the teen anyway? He let out a simple: "Hm." and smirked as he thought of himself as shallow. However, his ultimate conclusion was that it was pure instinct, and hell, his good deed for the month, at least.

He walked out of his room, taking some time as he walked down the long hall to turn his cell phone down. Calls were always a possibility, and if there was one thing Seto Kaiba was, it was proper and professional. Phone's ringing during dinner were neither. He took a deep breath as he watched the elevator doors close. He was tired, and all he wanted was to eat, and go to bed, but he figured now that they had their guest, Mokuba would be even more excited to watch a movie. He hoped that this movie night would turn out like all the others, and his little brother would be sleeping soundly within the first fifteen minutes.

Finally, he reached the dining hall, where Ryou and Mokuba were already sitting at the, long, dark brown, dining table. They were seated on either side of his place at the head of the table. As he grabbed the back of his chair and pulled it out to sit down, he noticed Ryou looked down at his hands, and tense up a bit, but his attention was caught by Mokuba speaking to him: "Hey Seto, you're still organizing a new tournament, right?"

"I'm working on something." He replied as a women walked up quickly and filled his glass with some, expensive, vintage wine.

Seto nodded to her as Mokuba started to talk again: "It's going to be the best! We have a lot of great ideas!"

Ryou smiled at the youngest Kaiba and spoke softly: "I'm certain it will be."

The food was so beautifully prepared that Ryou almost felt bad to eat it, but when he finally took a bite, his taste-buds thanked him, as it was the most delicious food he had ever tried. Mokuba was easily the most talkative, and was the main contributor to the conversation throughout the immaculate dinner. Every now and then, Seto would add small comments, mostly corrections. Ryou did a lot of nodding, smiling, and agreeing. The young Kaiba's enthusiasm was heart warming, and he couldn't help but feel bothered that Seto seemed to either ignore it or be annoyed by it.

Seto watched Ryou carefully, feeling a bit interested, and suspicious, of him. He avoided Seto's gaze as if his life depended on it. When Mokuba spoke, he smiled pleasantly and replied politely, but, even though he technically only directed his words to his brother, when he spoke, the white haired teen looked down at his plate, and almost flinched, as if his words would harm him. He finished off his glass of wine, watching as Mokuba and Ryou tried the chocolate swirl cheesecake that he had passed up on.

"Why don't you have dessert, Seto?" Mokuba asked, before shoveling another huge piece of the cake into his mouth.

"I don't care for sweets." He said, while holding his hand up, letting the woman know his glass could be left empty.

Mokuba just waved his brother off, and after taking his last bite stood quickly. "I'm going to get the movie ready! You're coming, right, Bakura?"

Ryou wasn't sure what to say, once again faced with the problem of exactly how much authority Mokuba had in place of his brother. Before he could figure out what to say, though, Seto spoke for him: "Just go. We'll be there." Mokuba seemed satisfied with the answer and scampered off, sliding with his socks along the hardwood floor. As it sank in that he and the powerful CEO were alone, Ryou felt his stomach twist, but before the silence hung around too long, Seto spoke: "Tell me, why were out in that storm?"

Ryou looked up at him, shocked by the blunt question. He met unwavering blue eyes staring back at him, and he instantly looked back down, trying to think of what to say. The truth would make him sound insane, but he had never been a very good liar. He just said the first thing that came to his mind: "I ... fell asleep."

"Outside?" He crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair.

"Well, yes." He peeked back up at him, and found that the more often he caught that sapphire gaze, the easier it was to hold. He had intense eyes, but not evil or angry eyes, and he saw those far too often. "It was raining, so I found shelter, and fell asleep."

Before Seto even spoke, Ryou knew he was far too perceptive for his half-truth, but he seemed to allow it. "You should be more careful." He said simply.

The teen couldn't help but smile at his rough way, and decided this was a good opportunity to take care of the elephant in the room: "Listen, Kaiba... I just wanted to thank you. You didn't have to ... let me stay here."

Seto felt gratified to receive a thank you, but at the same time, he found it unnecessary. He had really acted on instinct and not kindness, and he wasn't prideful enough to accept something he didn't feel he deserved. "What was I supposed to do? Leave you in the street?"

"You could have."

Seto rolled his eyes, and looked up as Mokuba ran back in. "Come on, you two!" He chimed happily. "Everything's ready!"

They stood slowly and started following the boy. Ryou fell behind a bit, taking time to thank all the servers before he followed after the Kaiba brothers. They walked down a long corridor, Ryou was just to the left and behind Seto, with Mokuba running ahead excitedly. He threw open the double doors to the in-home theater, and rushed in. Seto grabbed the right door, and held it, stepping to the side to let Ryou go before him.

Before he could thank him, though, Ryou's breath was taken by the massive theater in front of him. It looked like an actual movie theater, with rows of black seats, small lights on the floor, and a massive projector on the wall, already running, creating a large Kaiba Corp. symbol on the white backdrop. Mokuba ran to the middle of the rows, and beckoned his brother and their guest. They walked down, and Ryou went into the aisle first, sitting where Mokuba requested him to. The young Kaiba sat beside him, and his older, much less enthusiastic, brother took his spot in the aisle seat, like always.

Mokuba was bouncing, obviously very excited for the movie and the company. He looked up at his brother: "Is it ok if I stay up after the movie?" Seto looked down at him for a moment but finally nodded, knowing he wouldn't last that long anyway. As the lights dimmed, Seto crossed his legs, propped his elbow on the armrest closest to the aisle, and rested his chin in his hand, very obviously tired and annoyed. Ryou smiled, thinking it sweet of him to sit here with his little brother when he obviously wanted, and more than likely needed, to sleep.

He turned his attention to the movie, some sort of predictable action movie that Mokuba seemed to be really interested in. At least for about 20 minutes, then a slight movement caught Ryou's attention, and he looked over to see the boy's head dipping toward his brother's arm. He smiled, and Seto set still, glancing down at him every few minutes. After a bit of time had passed, Ryou's attention was grabbed again, as Seto, slipped his arm around his brother's shoulder, and in one easy scoop of his other arm, lifted him and stood.

"I'm taking him to bed. Wait here, and I'll be back to show you to your room."

Ryou nodded, and as he watched the caring older brother cradle his brother away, the movie stopped and the lights slowly came on. He sunk down in the seat, feeling about the same as Mokuba. Once he slept, and got back home, he would feel more comfortable, but there was also a sad feeling that the night was coming to an end. Though Seto was gruff, he was good, and Mokuba just seemed to need someone to talk to. For once, Ryou wasn't alone.

Well ... other than _him._

He moved his hand to his chest, and sat up quickly, realizing the ring wasn't around his neck. He stood, suddenly forgetting everything except following the compulsion to retrieve the ring. He walked to the door, not even thinking about the fact that he had no idea how to get back to his room, but as soon as his hand wrapped around the doorknob, there was a monstrous clap of thunder, and then with a loud pop, the Kaiba mansion went black.


	3. Outage

**_Made of Stone_**

 _ **Summary:**_ If you asked almost anyone if Seto Kaiba was made of stone, they would probably say that he was.

 _ **Chapter 3: Outage**_

Ryou's hand dropped off the doorknob, and he looked from side to side. His eyes were attempting to adjust, but all he could see were odd shapes in the dark. Then he notices a pale light coming from under the door to the hallway. He fumbled around for the knob, found it and slowly pulled it open. He instantly noticed a small emergency light above the door, illuminating part of the corridor. He could see that there was another over the door at the end of the hall, but there was an ominous dark spot in between, and though it made him feel childish, Ryou had always had a fear of the dark.

He took a deep breath and started walking down the hall, knowing, at least, that the opposite door led to the dining hall. He did everything he could to stop replaying the terrifying image of the spirit standing behind him in the mirror, but it lingered. The closer he got to the dark spot in between the rays of light, the more his heart started to pound. He felt like a ridiculous child, yet sharing a mind with an evil thief's spirit, Ryou had seen things come out of the dark that no one could possibly understand.

He walked to the edge of the light, and froze. Although the distance couldn't have been more than 10 feet of darkness, he just could not bring himself to step forward. He moved his right arm up, and crossed it over his chest to hold his left shoulder, something he did to comfort himself. After another moment of attempting to convince himself to move forward, he finally resigned himself as hopeless. He dropped his arm in defeat, and turned back around, but when his eyes lifted from the floor, they met a tall figure standing right behind him. His heart flew into his chest, and he was visibly startled. Both of his hands flew to his chest, and it was only after a step back and a second look that he realized the figure to be Seto.

He took a relieved breath, and had to lean against the wall. He looked a the CEO who had a slightly amused look in his eye, but no smile. "You scared me." Ryou said.

"Clearly." Seto took a few steps to the edge of the light, and looked back him. "Come with me. I need to get you back to your room so I can take care of this outage."

Ryou felt like a burden all over again, almost telling him that he would find the room on his own, but as he followed him into darkness, he decided walking with him was a much better option. He stayed close behind him as they walked, feeling sorry for him. He could tell from his demeanor from the moment the came in contact with him that he was exhausted. Now something else was in his way of rest, and even though most of it was completely out of his control, Ryou felt as though everything that had happened to Seto was his fault. The feeling of being a burden was an often one for Ryou. His parents always seemed far too busy to deal with him. Thanks the spirit of the Millennium Ring, he was nothing but a danger to his friends, and now, apparently, a simple nuisance to his acquaintances. He took a defeated breath, as they crossed into the dining room.

Seto reached into the inside pocket of his coat, and pulled out a small flashlight. He clicked it on, and pointed it towards the door that led into the hallway. Every now and then, lightening would flash brightly, illuminating the whole room for a split second. The situation seemed like the beginning of a horror movie, which made Seto frustrated, and not the least bit afraid. He could navigate his home with no electricity very easily, and the idea that a storm was frightening to some people seemed ridiculous. It was weather, nothing more. He could feel that Ryou, and for some reason it made him smirk. He was just as ridiculous as all of the others in Yugi's little clique, afraid of their own shadows, thanks to those ludicrous superstitions they were always going on about.

However, he couldn't help but think of Ryou separately from them. He never seemed too close with anything, and though he was always chummy with them, he maintained distance. Something about him was simply different. He wasn't nearly as happy-go-lucky as the rest of the nerd heard, and Seto found him a bit more grounded, certain actions at Duelist Kingdom aside. The more he thought about it, the more questions that started to form in his mind, and he had to ask himself why he was suddenly so curious... perhaps it was just because he was a guest in his home.

Once they reached the hallway, Ryou couldn't help but feel nervous to actually get to the room. Once he had the ring back on his neck, things would become unpredictable. He considered leaving it on the counter until morning, but he had to determine if the risk of angering the spirit was worth protecting the Kaiba's and their household for the night. Then, as Seto stopped in front of the stairs, and turned to wait for him, he felt a bit more inclined to choose the second. He had been beyond kind to him, and given Mokuba's reaction, and every other encounter he had had with Seto Kaiba, he knew it was a rare thing. They started up the stairs as a loud clap of thunder roared above them, and it was very soon after they reached the top, that Seto turned to the right, and opened the first door. Ryou could tell it was his room, given the massive window on the far wall. Silently, he watched as Seto walked around, flipping a small switch on two emergency lights softly brightening the room.

As the CEO turned on the one above the bed, Ryou's heart froze, as he saw the Millennium Ring lying in the center on the dark green bedspread, shining in the pale yellow light. He stared at it, frozen. He didn't notice as Seto turned around and looked at him until he spoke: "What is it?"

His brown eyes moved quickly, and he tried to shake the fear. "N-Nothing." He moved awkwardly around the bed, just trying to do something, so the big dark window was behind him, trying not to look back down at the ring. "What do you mean?"

"You look like you've _seen_ a ghost."

 _You could say that._ "No. Everything is fine. Thank you, Kaiba."

 _You're a bad liar._ "Good. There will be a car waiting for you in the morning."

As the young CEO turned to leave Ryou felt a very odd mixture of relief and fear, perhaps to be alone or that this might be the last time he would see Seto in his version of a friendly way. His mind raced to maybe say something, but he knew he was so busy and why would he stay? He ended up just standing, watching him leave, then, a sudden loud sound echoed from just outside the window. They both whipped around just in time to see the large tree outside the window spit sparks as lightening bounced off of it. The light faded, but the sound seemed to remain, but it shifted into an odd cracking sound, and then a shattering. The massive window exploded, and all Ryou could do was watch as half of the tree came crashing through the glass.

What happened next was a blur. Ryou remembered the tree, falling straight for him, then something hit him the right side of his body, and his back instantly connected to the wall, and on instinct, he closed his eyes. He curled his hands up by his and waited for the impact of the tree, but when it didn't come, he slowly opened his eyes and realized immediately what had happened.

Seto was arched over him, both of his forearms planted firmly on the wall on either side of Ryou's head. He was completely over him, and their chests were so close to touching, he could feel his body heat. His eyes were closed also, but he quickly opened them once all the sounds subsided, meeting dark brown eyes staring back at him in shock.

For once, Ryou couldn't take his eyes off of the blue cystals in front of him. What was he thinking? He could have been killed! Who would do such a reckless thing? For him? He felt an odd surge of anger boil in him. How could he be so foolish to risk his life as if his were worth more? He suddenly felt there was a motive to the kindness, and was compelled to push him away, but a soft voice in the back of his mind whispered: _He saved you._

Seto stared, trying to read Ryou's expression, and digesting, for himself, what had occurred. Ryou had just stood there. Just like in the road. What else was he supposed to do? Now he was staring up at him like he had just killed his puppy, let alone saved his life, but for once the stare did not falter. He could see that the slight anger, but he didn't care. What bothered him was the fear. He could see it in his eyes, and in the way his hands were pressed tightly to his chest, that he was afraid. Did he really believe that he had any reason to hurt him or was it that he had let his, what he would call professional, way come off as dangerous?

Then, for no other reason he could think of then to confirm his thoughts, Seto leaned in, moving their faces closer. Ryou moved his face back as far as the wall would allow and took a shaky breath. Seto was perceptive, however, and he could hear that sound in his breath, and the way his eyes finally dropped and landed on his lips, that he was anticipating something.

Yet, he was still afraid.

Ryou was confused, and he could feel his heart beating. The only times he found himself in a similar position, the outcome had been traumatic, to say the least. When Seto moved closer, his instincts told him to brace for something, and though he had never given him a reason to think he was anything like the spirit of the ring, he simply couldn't help it. He had trained himself to be fearful in order to protect himself, and someone as aggressive and confident as Seto was someone he couldn't help but be intimidated by. His arms dropped down to the wall, completely pressing himself to it.

If Seto Kaiba was anything, it definitely wasn't naive, or shy, and now that he could feel the atmosphere changing, he decided that some evening company might be something he'd been needing. He did hesitate, however, wondering if the shy boy in front of him would completely loose it. Yet, he had an unnatural want to prove to him that he wasn't someone he had to be afraid of. He may be gruff, and distant, but he wasn't dangerous.

Finally, Seto tilted his head, and moved forward confidently, capturing Ryou's lips in a heated, yet gentle, kiss.

Ryou's hands floated up, almost involuntarily, but he didn't touch the CEO. His eyes remained open, but only because he was so incredibly shocked that he was unable to do anything before Seto slowly pulled back. All Ryou could do was get out a quiet: "Kaiba?" before he moved in again, this time faster, and with more passion. His hands finally landed on Seto's shoulder, with the original intention of pushing him away, but the kiss felt good, and he felt himself melting into it. His eyes closed, and he allowed Seto deepen the kiss, slowly pushing his tongue passed his lips. The way he moved it made Ryou's breath catch, and he couldn't but think it was yet another talent the genius entrepreneur had.

Seto started to loose himself. Nothing else in his life made the rigid CEO forget himself, but when he felt this kind of passion rise in him, he found it hard not to loose control. His hands slid down the wall, before moving to Ryou's hips and pulling his slender frame forward. He instantly felt him tense in his grip, and he had to remind himself that he had not technically gotten consent for anything that he was doing. He broke the kiss, and slowly moved his hands back up to the wall, bracing himself.

Ryou slowly looked up and him, and though he did still see fear and confusion, there was something else lingering in his brown eyes. After a moment of holding himself back, and taking in the quiet moment, Seto was finally able to break the atmosphere as he spoke: "Do you want me to stop?"


	4. In The Moment

**_Made of Stone_**

 _ **Summary:**_ If you asked almost anyone if Seto Kaiba was made of stone, they would probably say that he was.

 _ **Chapter 4: In The Moment**_

Ryou was absolutely frozen. He was beyond confused, scared, emotional, and almost every other feeling he could think of, but as soon as those words fell from Seto's lips, he suddenly couldn't stand the thought of breaking the closeness. It had been ... well, actually he'd never had someone touch him so sensually. He had felt a sexual touch, but it was nothing like this. Though Seto had not technically asked, he didn't feel forced, but he couldn't help be afraid of what could happen next if he let it continue. Yet, those crystal blue eyes were making him weak, and when he took a breath to speak he had no idea what he was going to say.

"No."

Seto didn't hesitate at all. His hands dropped from the wall, grabbed the sides of Ryou's face, and pulled him in to another hot kiss. He pressed their bodies together causing Ryou to let out a sound. It was startled, and short, but at the same time it was content. Seto did his best to keep his moves slow and controlled. He slowly slid his hands down Ryou's arms, and once they reached his waist, he wrapped his long arms around him, lifting him into the kiss.

Ryou could feel his feet just barely touching the ground, yet he felt secure. He was still nervous, but the fear was fading quickly. He actually dared to kiss him back, which just encouraged the CEO. He was slowly forgetting everything, and he felt heat building in him. He could feel his body starting to react to everything that was happening. He started to feel a bit embarrassed, wondering if he would look naive to the confident man holding onto him. Then, a sudden clap of thunder rolled through the room, causing Ryou to jump violently, break the kiss and turn his head down into Seto's chest.

For the first time since the tree had crashed through the window, Seto remembered they were standing part way in the rain, thanks to a destroyed window. He moved his hands back onto Ryou's arms realizing quickly that his left side was starting to get damp from the rain. He sidestepped so his back was to the open window frame, blocking Ryou, gently turned him, and started guiding him to the door with his hands on the top of his arms.

Ryou was suddenly a new kind of nervous, realizing that they were now going to his bedroom. He felt like he was on a first date that had been skipped to the end with none of the time to mentally prepare beforehand. He had never thought of Seto in such away, other than noticing his obvious attractiveness. Now, he was walking, still tasting his kiss on his lips. He feel elated, regardless of everything. There was a warm feeling in his heart that someone like Seto Kaiba would have any interest in him at all.

Seto shifted, releasing his touch, and stepped beside Ryou in order to open the bedroom door for him. Ryou stepped into the hallway, and waited. Partly because he didn't know where to go, but mostly because he didn't want to be too far away. Once the door was closed, Seto pulled his phone out of his pocket, pressed one button, and put it to his ear. In the mere seconds it took for someone to answer the call, he reached down and grabbed Ryou's hand, lacing their fingers together without a thought, and started leading him down the hall.

"The window in the first guest room was destroyed by the storm. Take care of it."

For a moment Ryou had forgotten Seto's authoritative voice. It intimidated him all over again, even feeling his hand being gently guided. He was still afraid, even though his touch had been gentle. He had never experienced a kiss or sensual touch like that. He didn't know how to feel. Under his, almost constant state of anxiety, however, he felt excitement, but every time it attempted to ride to the surface, his mind started throwing out a variety of horrible outcomes. Once they got to the bedroom, there wouldn't be much he could do if he wanted to hurt him. What if he had his fun, then simply told him leave? He even went so far as to wonder if the, normally incredibly serious, CEO was playing a joke on him. His heart was still thumping, and he had to think about his breathing, so Seto wouldn't hear.

For the first time ever, Seto didn't regret putting an emergency generator in the elevator that led to his top floor bedroom. There was rarely a use for it, and he had almost had it taken out several time, but walking up flights of stairs was definitely something he didn't have the patience for at the moment, and he noted to himself that he would never have it removed. He led Ryou to the end of the hall, not realizing that he was taking full quick strides, and he was almost dragging Ryou along. He reached the end of the hall, and used the card key around his neck to activate the elevator. Ryou looked surprised, but he decided to leave the mystery in the air. Once the doors slid open, Seto turned and pulled Ryou in, instantly wrapping one arm around his waist and the other around his back, grabbing the back of his head, and pressing their lips together again. He turned so the door was on their left, leaned back against the wall, holding the smaller teen's body close, and released his waist to press the top floor button without looking.

Ryou found himself feeling the same shock as before, despite having experienced his kiss. He was amazed at how gentle he was, while still being firm and precise. As the kiss deepened, he felt Seto's hand lightly grasp his hair, and it felt so nice and calming that a small, content, sound escaped him. He felt everything about Seto intensify. The kiss, his grip, everything. It seemed as though they were standing there, immersed in each other for hours and yet seconds, but as soon as the doors slid open again, Seto lifted off the wall, bent his knees, and scooped Ryou up by the top of his legs.

"Kaiba?!" Not thinking, he instantly threw his arms around the CEO's shoulders, and tucked his face into neck. "Don't drop me." He added, without really meaning to.

Seto scoffed. "I'm not going to drop you." He stepped out of the elevator, and walked straight toward the massive, king sized, bed that sat in the center of the large, fabulously decorated bedroom, but when he made it there, he didn't break his hold on the white haired teen. He was basking in the closeness, something he hadn't felt in a long time, and by the way he was clinging to him, he could tell that Ryou was craving it as well. Finally, he turned and sat on the bed, guiding Ryou's legs to wrap around him. He could feel him shift, and slowly lift his head. When their eyes met, Seto could see the confusion, embarrassment, and yes, the fear was still in them. He found it bothered him a bit more than it had before, and moved his hands up to the sides of Ryou's face, tilted it like he was going to kiss him, but just before their lips met he whispered: "Don't be afraid."

Ryou paused at the words, and waited for a kiss that didn't come. Seto moved his hands back through his hair, then slid them down the back of the sweater, but paused at his lower back. He wasn't sure what the suave CEO was waiting for. He wasn't very experienced, and he started to wonder if there was something he should be doing. His arms were still lying over his broad shoulders, and after a breath to gather courage, he wrapped them further, leaned down and, for the first time, kissed him.

Seto, having received the invitation he needed, returned the kiss and slowly started to slide his hands up the back of Ryou's shirt, earning him a small hum. He explored his slender shoulders, and smooth back, trying not to let the position cause him to rush. He could feel Ryou's kiss gaining intensity and started to feel, finally, that he wanted it as much as he did. He, regrettably, broke the kiss, grabbed the bottom of the dark sweater, and pulled ... well, more like yanked ... it over Ryou's head.

As his white locks fell around his shoulders, Ryou instantly felt insecure. He dropped his arms down, partially crossing them in front of him. Seto gave him a smirk, reached down and slowly lifted off his own shirt. It almost happened in slow motion, and Ryou couldn't help but stare as every layer of his abs appeared, then his toned chest, all the way up to his perfect, large shoulders. It was such an erotic thing to see the, normally buttoned-up, executive showing so much skin, and he could feel heat building in his face and between his legs.

Seto reached forward, took the teen's hands, and placed them on his chest. He could see that Ryou's face was bright red, but he didn't mind. It was a good look on him. He slid his hands down Ryou's back, and softly kissed his neck, as he grabbed his ass firmly. He was satisfied with the embarrassed gasp he received, and continued to work on his neck, causing the words he was attempting to say to simply fade into nothing. It was only for a second that he wondered if he might leave a mark on his pale skin, and if he really should, but he could feel his pants growing tighter, and he had never been the type of person to hold back, anyway.

Ryou, however, was. His mind was racing, and he was floating in and out of the eroric moment. He couldn't determin which emotion to focus on. He wanted to let go, and fall into it all, but he was too afraid of what that meant, of what could happen. He moved his hands back to Seto's shoulders, and after having to pause from the overwhelming sensation, was finally able to push him back, almost firmly, and say: "Wait."


End file.
